Orthopaedic Pillows: What’s Your Comfort Zone?

Since such a significant portion of our lives is spent in sleep, it’s reasonable to suspect that the way we sleep might affect our posture. And so it does.

One question I’m often asked is whether orthopaedic pillows are truly helpful, or worth the investment.

Well, first let’s establish what we mean when we talk about these specialized snooze cushions.

What is an orthopaedic pillow?

The term “orthopaedic pillow” embraces a whole array of different pillow types. There are neck pillows, knee pillows, body pillows, pillows for the pregnant, side-sleeper pillows, back-sleeper pillows – so many types that it could make one sleepy. Read all the snoozy details here.

This profusion of pillows shares a basic purpose, though: To promote comfortable, healthy sleep by providing support and cushioning. A good pillow should allow bodily functions such as breathing and circulation to carry on unhindered. Of course, it should do this in such a way that the neck and spine are not twisted or otherwise subjected to undue stress.

Preferences

Now, I must admit that I have neither personal nor professional prejudices pertaining to the pillow you pick. It truly comes down to what you find comfortable.

Sleep is enormously important, in any case. Your sleeping position truly can make all the difference in sleep quality – and affect your posture, too. For more on that, allow me to recommend my book, Posture – Give It to Me Straight! It includes a detailed section on sleep, the sleep positions chiropractors swear by, and sleep dos and don’ts. And there are some definite don’ts!

What’s Your Experience?

I hope that if you now find yourself yawning, it’s not because I’ve bored you – but rather that I’ve prompted you to ponder the possibility of a nice rest. Before you nip off for a nap, though, I’d be delighted if you would scroll down to the box below and tell me about your experiences in search of a better sleeping pillow. Do you love a bit of memory foam? Does your othopaedic pillow look and feel like a speed bump? Do you take your special friend travelling? Your bedtime stories may just help me zzzzzzz. Sorry, I nodded off.

Sweet dreams.